stonecrandall Page 27
Page 27
The forest path back to camp was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, making a soft "rustling" sound when you stepped on it.
The cool night breeze in the wetlands finally dispelled the sweltering heat accumulated during the day, carrying the freshness of earth and water vapor as it brushed against their cheeks and hair.
Above us, there is a pure night sky, free from any urban light pollution.
The cold light of billions of stars pierced through the ancient darkness, igniting tiny silver flames in their pupils. A dazzling Milky Way stretched across the sky, so magnificent that it inspired awe.
The two walked side by side, neither of them speaking.
But that silence wasn't awkward.
It was like a thin, warm curtain of water, isolating them from everything outside and enveloping them in a space that belonged only to them.
The tacit understanding forged during the day in facing a formidable foe is now silently taking hold.
Just as the camp lights could be faintly seen ahead, Xu Qingyan suddenly stopped without warning.
Lin Che took two steps forward before realizing something was wrong, and he turned around in confusion.
The girl stood a few steps away, head down. The branches and leaves of the trees by the roadside cut the moonlight into mottled fragments, which fell on her and gilded her with a hazy silver glow.
Her face was hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to see her expression clearly.
Lin Che was about to ask a question.
next second.
He saw that the girl's small hand, which was hanging by her side and slightly curled up, seemed to have used all her strength to overcome a huge psychological barrier. After trembling almost imperceptibly, she slowly raised it.
Then, gently, yet with unwavering determination, he grasped his own large hand hanging at his side.
A soft, slightly cool little hand pressed against his palm without reservation.
That delicate touch felt like a faint yet undeniable electric current, traveling up the nerves in his arm and straight to his cerebral cortex.
Lin Che's body froze instantly.
All his thoughts, whether it was his powerlessness against Gyarados, his longing for Dratini, or his plans for the future, were cleared away at this moment.
The whole world seemed to consist only of that breathtakingly soft spot in the palm of my hand.
He heard Xu Qingyan's voice.
The voice was very soft and low, carrying an undisguised tension, almost a murmur, yet it entered his ears clearly, every word spoken with utmost seriousness.
"Lin Che..."
"I...I think..."
She paused for a moment, as if gathering her last bit of courage.
"I feel especially safe and secure when I'm adventuring with you."
There are no fancy words.
There was no explicit "I like you" statement.
It was just such a simple and unadorned sentence, yet it was extremely sincere.
Its inherent weight far surpasses any elaborately designed, extravagant declaration.
In this perilous world of elves, full of unknowns and challenges, the word "peace of mind" represents the ultimate trust and reliance.
These words, like a precise and powerful hammer, crashed down with a resounding boom.
The thin veil of ambiguity between the two, already as thin as a cicada's wing and just one step away from completion, was completely shattered.
Those suppressed, restrained, and carefully maintained budding feelings of affection were ignited at this moment.
The relationship achieved a decisive breakthrough.
Chapter 34 The Night's Plans, The Legend of the Dragon Scales!
When Lin Che and Xu Qingyan returned to the camp side by side, Chen Hao immediately noticed the subtle change in the atmosphere.
By the campfire, he looked at the distance between the two that was no longer being deliberately maintained, winked, nudged Zhang Wei next to him with his elbow, lowered his voice, but made sure that everyone around could hear him.
"Brother Che, sister-in-law, you two... it's done?"
Lin Che didn't stop walking, but only glanced at him out of the corner of her eye.
There was neither affirmation nor denial in his eyes, only a calm "you're noisy."
Xu Qingyan's reaction was much more genuine.
The title "sister-in-law" made her ears burn instantly, a heat rushing from her neck to her cheeks. She subconsciously quickened her pace, almost fleeing, and hurried back to her dormitory tent, forgetting to even say goodbye.
There was no official announcement, no passionate declaration.
But that unspoken understanding had already flowed quietly between the two, transforming into a magnetic field that needed no words, turning all the speculations of onlookers into tacit facts.
The night was completely deep.
The only sounds left in the camp were the occasional crackling of charcoal from the burned-out campfire and the intermittent snores coming from the various tents.
All sounds are silent.
Everyone had fallen into a deep sleep, exhausted from the day's work.
Only in Lin Che's tent was there a faint, cold light.
The tablet screen reflected his focused and aloof profile, making it appear distinct.
He was wide awake.
Close your eyes, and the shock of the Gyarados from the daytime will wash over you again.
The enormous waves stirred up by that massive body churning the deep pool, the savagery and majesty revealed in those scarlet eyes that viewed all things as ants, and the feeling of powerlessness before which I couldn't even test the waters.
Every image became a sharp thorn, deeply embedded in his nerves.
Intertwined with this is the dazzling, heart-stopping aura of energy at the bottom of the pool, representing champion-level talent, as seen through the Eye of Truth's vision.
Powerlessness and longing.
These two extreme emotions tore at his mind repeatedly, making it impossible for him to calm down.
Instead of passively engaging in internal strife, it's better to proactively seek ways to break the deadlock.
Lin Che's fingers swiped across the cold screen, opening the trainer's encrypted tactics forum.
He entered keywords into the search box.
[Wild, Gyarados, drive away, suppress]
Posts appeared instantly.
Analysis of the Control Rate of Large Water-Type Pokémon Based on the Combined Use of Electromagnetic Waves and Will-O-Wisp
Advanced Tactics Sharing: The Roar Forced Expulsion Strategy – A Classic Case Study of Overcoming the Strong with the Weak
"The King of the Waters? A Pangolin Teaches You How to Cut Off His Supply Lines!"
He opened every feasible plan, read it word by word, and recorded the most crucial tactical core, spirit configuration, and item requirements in his memo.
"Electromagnetic wave paralysis technique requires a high-level Electric-type Pokémon, which I don't have in my team."
"The Roar forced expulsion strategy requires extremely high strength and courage from the Pokémon. If a Bagon goes in, it will be instantly killed. If Machop level is not high enough, it will also not work."
"Changing the terrain... is too much work, and the noise will attract other unnecessary trouble."
He analyzed them one by one, and then rejected them one by one.
All theoretical tactics seem so pale and powerless in the face of the reality of lacking key pieces of the puzzle.
With a furrowed brow, Lin Che changed his mind.
Since we can't deal with that Gyarados for the time being, let's study the target itself thoroughly first.
He switched his search terms and began to examine all the information about Dratini and its evolutionary chain. He looked at everything in great detail, from its habits and food preferences to its skill learning list and base stat changes at different stages.
Just then, he clicked on an academic paper that had been pinned and highlighted.
The document is titled "A Preliminary Exploration of the Origin of the Dragon System," and the author is identified as the Dragon System King—Shin Watanabe.
This is an extremely old scanned document, the pages are yellowed, the handwriting is handwritten, and it carries a sense of historical weight.
Lin Che's gaze swept rapidly across the dense text, when suddenly, a specially marked noun caught his eye without warning.
—【Dragon Scales】.
His fingers froze abruptly, the screen's light reflecting an astonishing brightness in his suddenly contracting pupils.
He read that description several times.
According to historical records, the "Dragon Scales" are not the ordinary scales found on typical dragon-type Pokémon.
It is an extremely rare type of scale that only falls off naturally from certain ancient dragon-type spirits that have lived for hundreds or even thousands of years, during the peak of their life essence.
Each piece contains the energy accumulated over the long life of that ancient dragon.
Its most well-known function is as a precious evolutionary stone, a necessary item for the Seadra to break through the racial boundaries and evolve into the Kingdra.
But the latter half of the document records an even more astonishing secret.
The finest and purest dragon scales are said to contain a trace of indescribable dragon-based primordial power.
If a young, undeveloped dragon-type Pokémon can absorb this power, its bloodline can be optimized from the root, greatly promoting its growth. It may even allow it to transcend level limitations and learn some powerful inherited skills deeply rooted in its bloodline ahead of time!
"Dragon scales..."
Lin Che murmured these four words, his fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on the cold screen.
His breathing became somewhat rapid without him realizing it.
This unexpected discovery was like a lightning bolt piercing the darkness, instantly illuminating all the fog in his mind.
It laid the groundwork for a brand new ultimate goal for its future training of that champion-level Dratini!
Having championship-level potential is just a ticket to the top.
And this [Dragon Scale] is the catalyst that allows the value of this ticket to be maximized!
In an instant, the sense of powerlessness he felt when facing Gyarados during the day seemed to be diluted by this new and more intense desire.
Tonight's defeat, in the face of such a grand goal, seems less unacceptable.